It is known to draw a flexible cylindrical file-like or brush-like structure through or along a tissue surface. The objective is to cut or abrade the material, and to retain severed portion of it so they can be removed from the brush and studied. A principal disadvantage of conventional brushes is that they do exactly what their name implies. They scrape along the tissue, and hopefully some clings to the brush, but there is no means to assure retention of the separated material. Known brushes tend to be relatively rigid, with their elements close together. Basically they provide no place for the severed tissue to go.
It is an object of this invention to provide a biopsy brush whose abrading elements are spaced apart, are suitably flexible, and provide spaces between the elements to receive separated tissue.